11/23/24
March 21, 2012
Tebow Traded to New York Jets: The New York Jets have acquired Tim Tebow and a seventh-round draft pick from the Denver Broncos in exchange for a fourth- and sixth-round pick, the NFL Network is reporting. There is no joy in Jacksonville.
They're cornering the market.
posted by drezdn at 01:17 PM on March 21, 2012
God loves Gabbert more than Tebow. There is no other explanation.
posted by beaverboard at 01:17 PM on March 21, 2012
Maybe he can learn under Sanchez ??????
posted by Debo270 at 01:25 PM on March 21, 2012
And my post in the Manning thread this morning was supposed to be a joke. Maybe God does have a sense of humor....
posted by NerfballPro at 01:32 PM on March 21, 2012
Manning to agent: I want to play in Denver.
Agent: Yes sir, Mr. Manning. Denver will have parades, erect statues and sing songs about you around campfires.
Tebow to agent: I want to play in Florida
Agent: Shut the f**k up, you circus freak. You're going where we send you.
posted by smithnyiu at 01:42 PM on March 21, 2012
That is unexpected. I can't help but feel that New York is going to eat him alive.
posted by Joey Michaels at 01:47 PM on March 21, 2012
Wow there is a vote of confidence in Sanchez. That is why I thought the Jets would go after Manning more aggressively. They were obviously not satisfied with Sanchez and I was shocked they signed him while Manning was still available. How can this be good for a team that has so much discord in their locker room. Tebow mania is not going to help the locker room dynamic or make Sanchez feel secure. It seems the Jets are determined to self destruct.
The only good news is that they clearly need some divine intervention, and maybe Tebow can supply it. Time for Jets fans to get on one knee and pray like hell. I see a disaster brewing.
posted by Atheist at 01:50 PM on March 21, 2012
Jet's just gave Sanchez a tasty contract extension, $40M with $20M guaranteed. How does it help the team to have two of the most reviled QBs in the league? Not to mention that relatively speaking the NYC Metro region is one of the least evangelical Christian-friendly.
posted by billsaysthis at 01:58 PM on March 21, 2012
Tebow has been quite active in mission work in past years. This might be a good time to pull a Ricky Williams and step away from the football carousel for a while.
(Except that a mission director might tell him he's being stationed where the need for salvation is greatest and send him right back to New York).
posted by beaverboard at 02:01 PM on March 21, 2012
The Jets must think they can make Tebow a slash player. They wouldn't be so dirty to Sanchez after giving him that contract extension.
posted by rcade at 02:02 PM on March 21, 2012
As Tebow Just Wins'. going to the team that won the last three Superbowls is the obvious choice.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 02:11 PM on March 21, 2012
My first reaction was "YGBSM"* I texted same to my son and his answer was, "That team is .... special."
*YGBSM - You Gotta Be Shittin' Me - appeared on the unit patch of the "Wild Weasel" US Air Force units that were tasked with the suppression of anti-aircraft defenses during the Viet Nam War. The mission was highly dangerous, and when it was explained to the first pilots to undertake it, YGBSM was the common reaction.
posted by Howard_T at 02:19 PM on March 21, 2012
Tebow mania is not going to help the locker room dynamic or make Sanchez feel secure. It seems the Jets are determined to self destruct.
Oh ye of little faith...
posted by Folkways at 02:20 PM on March 21, 2012
This is a great non-move by the Jaguars if they want to move the team LA.
posted by tron7 at 02:23 PM on March 21, 2012
Line shamelessly stolen from someone else: The Broncos want a Super Bowl so bad they sacrificed a virgin.
posted by Etrigan at 02:34 PM on March 21, 2012
To coin a phrase that I picked up on SpoFi, and that has served me in many other situations...this will end well.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 02:36 PM on March 21, 2012
They wouldn't be so dirty to Sanchez ...
Makes every second I read SpoFi worth it.
posted by littleLebowski at 02:37 PM on March 21, 2012
Tebow's value:
T + 7th round = 4th round + 6th round.
That means he's worth about a 3rd round pick.
And that's probably the best offer they got for him.
That must absolutely shatter his perceived self-worth, and the implied value his fans had of him.
posted by grum@work at 03:24 PM on March 21, 2012
Adam Schefter is reporting that "recapture language" requiring $5 million of Tebow's contract to be paid to Denver from New York puts the trade at risk.
posted by rcade at 03:33 PM on March 21, 2012
I can't help but feel that New York is going to eat him alive.
Nah.
If he's really the goody-two-shoes that he is publicly presenting, then there isn't anything for the media to feed on.
If he's as absolutely devoted to his religion as he seems, then even failure on a grand scale won't faze him.
He's also going to be a talisman for the Christian NY'ers who are currently trapped in that heathen hell.
posted by grum@work at 03:34 PM on March 21, 2012
Rex Ryan will turn Tebow to the dark side in ways that we can't even fathom, unless we belong to the same swingers websites.
In case you were wondering, Tebow won't become president until Jan. 20, 2025. He turns 35 on Aug. 14, 2022.
posted by rcade at 03:36 PM on March 21, 2012
Line shamelessly stolen from someone else:
"Maybe he can get together with Jeremy Lin to help him with his bounce pass."
posted by Mr Bismarck at 03:38 PM on March 21, 2012
Should be an interesting first meeting with Antonio Cromartie.
posted by yerfatma at 03:41 PM on March 21, 2012
None of the three rings in the jets' circus will of the super bowl variety.
posted by ajaffe at 04:03 PM on March 21, 2012
I agree with rcade. If anyone can mess Tebow up, be it football-wise, personality-wise, or religion-wise, it's Rex Ryan and the New York Jets. Tebow worked his "magic" last year with a group of overachievers. Now he's stuck with the biggest bunch of underachievers in football and their buffoon of a head coach. God help him, literally.
posted by dyams at 04:16 PM on March 21, 2012
Jets might be better with Tebow at QB. They are much tougher to beat when they keep the ball on the ground. Games where they had a higher percentage of passing plays with Sanchez at the helm all resulted in losses.
posted by cixelsyd at 04:59 PM on March 21, 2012
I am no Sanchez fan, but which number here makes you feel like they'd be better with Tebow behind center?
posted by yerfatma at 05:51 PM on March 21, 2012
With Tebow at the helm my thoughts are they would be forced back to emphasis on their running game, exactly what made the Broncos somewhat decent in 2011.
Last year, for whatever reason, the Jets threw the ball more with Sanchez than Green Bay did with Rodgers. If they plug another marginal QB (Tebow) into the same scheme I wouldn't expect any changes in the outcome.
posted by cixelsyd at 06:04 PM on March 21, 2012
Why Jacksonville didn't offer a 2nd round pick as an overpay will never make sense to me. He's worth at least $100MM to that franchise.
They're going to run the wildcat with Tebow two years after everyone figured out how to stuff the wildcat.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:13 PM on March 21, 2012
With Tebow at the helm my thoughts are they would be forced back to emphasis on their running game
How does the presence of Sanchez prevent them from running the ball?
posted by yerfatma at 06:43 PM on March 21, 2012
Adam Schefter is reporting that "recapture language" requiring $5 million of Tebow's contract to be paid to Denver from New York puts the trade at risk.
Clearly, there aren't enough lawyers in New York to be able to call on one to read the contract at short notice and check for things like this.
posted by etagloh at 07:17 PM on March 21, 2012
With Tebow at the helm my thoughts are they would be forced back to emphasis on their running game
How does the presence of Sanchez prevent them from running the ball?
Tebow is a runnin' fool, so at least he improves their running game. I don't see how that will work though unless they plan on letting him throw the ball sometimes. Otherwise, teams would just stack the line when he got in the game.
posted by bperk at 07:38 PM on March 21, 2012
Looking at Jaguars season tickets. (Normally, I buy scalped tickets because they're cheap and plentiful.) Anyone think end zone seats are good?
posted by rcade at 07:39 PM on March 21, 2012
18 points average at home last year for the Jags with a median of 15. You could probably nap there.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:47 PM on March 21, 2012
Anyone think end zone seats are good?
Depends on how often you want to see your team.
posted by roberts at 07:51 PM on March 21, 2012
I sat in the end zone once last year and almost all of the scoring was on the other end, but I could hold a Tebow 3:16 sign and get on TV. The seats I'm comparing right now are lower bowl end zone and lower bowl corner.
posted by rcade at 07:55 PM on March 21, 2012
Leaving aside the football logic, don't you as a fan want to see Tim Tebow go to a team where he'll be starting next season at quarterback? Putting the Tebow phenomenon back on the bench without watching him fail or succeed spectacularly would be anticlimactic.
I'd think the fans of the other teams would gladly risk the Jaguars' future for a chance to see the circus in another town. Even if it does consume 95 percent of ESPN's airtime.
I went out today to get my Wednesday hookup from my dealer (comic books), and she's planning to buy two season tickets if Tebow joins the Jaguars. This is a person I've known for five-plus years and haven't talked with about sports once before today.
The amount of casual fan interest in Tebow here is staggering. He's the women's figure skating of pro football.
posted by rcade at 08:10 PM on March 21, 2012
My mom likes Tim Tebow and she doesn't really even watch sports (unless Tebow is playing).
posted by insomnyuk at 08:29 PM on March 21, 2012
Well, he certainly throws like a figure skater.
posted by tron7 at 09:47 PM on March 21, 2012
I'm with rcade. There is no more natural fit for Tebow than Jacksonville. Jacksonville needs to sell tickets more than they need to win right now, and Tebow will certainly accomplish that. Plus, Tebow will probably be the best QB they have. All sending Tebow to NY would do is create controversy, and while Tebow is one of the few people who could probably handle it with grace, I can't see it ending well for him, Sanchez or Jets fans as a whole.
posted by TheQatarian at 10:35 PM on March 21, 2012
Adam Schefter reports that Tebow was given a choice and decided on the Jets over the Jaguars.
posted by scully at 09:11 AM on March 22, 2012
If Tebow chose the Jets, it helps the Jaguars management avoid a formidable fan backlash. But it appears the reason he made that choice is because he talked to Jaguars execs and they didn't give him any confidence he fit their plans. So it's still on them that he's not here.
It's a shame that the most famous athlete ever to come out of this area won't be playing for the home NFL team. And even more of a shame the Jags have a general manager like Gene Smith who hides from the media on days like yesterday.
posted by rcade at 09:25 AM on March 22, 2012
I think the GM probably asked his brand new coaching staff what they thought and was smart enough to listen when they said "this guy wasn't in our plans." It will be challenge enough for the new coaches to right the ship without having the hometown god boy media circus. Butts in seats, and shirts sales, or not.
posted by scully at 09:44 AM on March 22, 2012
What has Smith ever done to make you think he would do something smart?
I think the Jags messed up, too. A media circus is better than no one caring one bit about the team. And, really, Gabbert? He's the answer?
posted by bperk at 09:49 AM on March 22, 2012
There's no way the GM deferred to his coaches. Gene Smith didn't want Tebow in 2010. He traded a second round pick to move up and pick Blaine Gabbert in the first round last year. Taking on Tebow as a quarterback and admitting failure on Gabbert isn't something Smith was going to ever do if he had a choice in the matter.
To give you an idea of where we're at as a fan base, local sportscaster Dan Hicken did a commentary as a fan last November that was a primal scream against the franchise: "You are a factory of sadness!"
posted by rcade at 09:49 AM on March 22, 2012
Jags aren't on my radar, so I was making assumptions and giving him the benefit of doubt. I still don't get the we-wanted-tebow-because-he-would-sell-tshirts-and-tickets-even-if-he-not-an-NFL-QB. Good luck with that business plan.
posted by scully at 10:10 AM on March 22, 2012
Adam Schefter reports that Tebow was given a choice and decided on the Jets over the Jaguars.
Wow. That doesn't happen very often in the NFL.
posted by tron7 at 10:12 AM on March 22, 2012
admitting failure on Gabbert isn't something Smith was going to ever do if he had a choice in the matter.
Is Gabbert really a failure already?
posted by yerfatma at 10:15 AM on March 22, 2012
The jags are going to have multiple not-an-NFL-QBs on their roster and will continue not to sell tickets and t-shirts. They may be proven right eventually but we'll all have to travel to LA to pat them on the back by the time they get a good quarterback.
Am I overblowing this relocation thing? It seems like they are rght on the cliff's edge.
posted by tron7 at 10:18 AM on March 22, 2012
Is Gabbert really a failure already?
Having watched him all season, I didn't see any progression. He was as unready his last start as his first. He falls down when pressured by non-existent defenders. He throws passes into the ground or skies them towards the far goalpost, far out of the reach of receivers. Journalists who cover the team talk about his immaturity.
There's a chance he was hampered by a bad system and bad receivers. I am not confident, though. Tebow is unquestionably a better quarterback at this time.
Am I overblowing this relocation thing?
The Jaguars had no blackouts in 2011 and no blackouts in 2010. They have an extremely tough 30-year-lease on EverBank Field to escape. They'd have to prove three straight years of losses to a local judge, pay $60 to $80 million to the city of Jacksonville and convince the NFL to ignore its rule against a team relocating by breaking a lease.
There are no current losses, so at the earliest a move would happen is four years off. Surely Los Angeles will have a team in its stadium before then.
posted by rcade at 10:34 AM on March 22, 2012
As perverse as it sounds, the NFL likes not having a team in L.A.
It gives EVERY other franchise leverage for things like new stadiums, better leases, government handouts, tax breaks, etc.
"Oh, you don't want to give us what we want? Well, maybe we'll move to Los Angeles! What do you think about that?"
posted by grum@work at 11:11 AM on March 22, 2012
There's a chance he was hampered by a bad system and bad receivers
In his first season on a team whose head coach was fired mid-season? I'd say there is a chance.
posted by yerfatma at 11:55 AM on March 22, 2012
Gabbert had already started nine games by the time Del Rio was fired. A bad system and bad receivers only partially explain why he was Bambi vs. Godzilla under even the mildest pressure.
posted by rcade at 12:19 PM on March 22, 2012
Ok, but point me to all the other QBs Del Rio's staff groomed in their years there. I feel like Leftwich and Garrard were further along but hit a plateau there as well. It's entirely possible Gabbert is a bust; I just wouldn't trade him in for Tim Tebow based on one year one a team that was falling apart.
posted by yerfatma at 12:45 PM on March 22, 2012
I still don't get the we-wanted-tebow-because-he-would-sell-tshirts-and-tickets-even-if-he-not-an-NFL-QB. Good luck with that business plan. posted by scully
I don't either. It just sounds bizarre.
The reason Tebow was a hero in Florida was because he won. If Tebow doesn't win how long will ticket sales remain high? How long will he stay a 'rock star'. So it seems to me anyone saying that must believe he's going to win. So they also believe he's either going to improve his stats drastically, or continue performing miracles.
Because if he doesn't win, you get a half season or so of hype and then nothing. And I don't get why so many fans seem to be a fan of that, and I'm guessing management, hopefully, understands that.
posted by justgary at 01:01 PM on March 22, 2012
Or how about if you are going to lose, better to lose with Tebow than Gabbert. The Tebow grace period would be longer than Gabbert's. Hopefully, during that time, Smith would lose his job, and the Jags might have a chance to rebuild.
posted by bperk at 01:23 PM on March 22, 2012
Or how about if you are going to lose, better to lose with Tebow than Gabbert.
It would've been far better to lose with Tebow than Gabbert, because Tebow would have sold 3,000 extra season tickets and generated the most excitement in Jacksonville since the first season and the 1999 AFC Championship game.
The 2-4 years of Tebow starting in Jacksonville would've been entertaining, which is as much the point of football as winning. Since we're already rolling the dice on a young QB of dubious skill, I preferred Tebow over Gabbert because of the other positives he brings.
But at this point it's moot. Gabbert's the guy. Smith's the GM. Khan's promise to make a splash in free agency and use a cap space advantage remains unkept.
posted by rcade at 01:32 PM on March 22, 2012
Since we're already rolling the dice on a young QB of dubious skill, I preferred Tebow over Gabbert because of the other positives he brings.
I can totally understand that.
posted by yerfatma at 04:08 PM on March 22, 2012
Or how about if you are going to lose, better to lose with Tebow than Gabbert.
Yeah, but rcade's bringing up 4 years. I think entertaining turns into crushing defeat in that time.
posted by justgary at 08:30 PM on March 22, 2012
Four years is tough, but it would be Christian suffering.
posted by rcade at 08:40 PM on March 22, 2012
Jaxson Deville, the team's mascot, posted on Twitter that "Tebow chose the #jets because he knew he couldn't WIN the QB job from @BlaineGabbert and chance to start were better in NY! #iridewithblaine." So there's that.
posted by rcade at 08:45 PM on March 22, 2012
All I know is, my evil plan to get David Garrard to Miami for the highly anticipated quarterback competition with Matt Moore has finally come to fruition. Quake with fear, tiny mortals!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:35 AM on March 23, 2012
Mularkey says he wanted Tebow. So apparently the only one who didn't want Tebow in his hometown of Jacksonville, was Tim Tebow.
posted by scully at 06:30 AM on March 23, 2012
When David Garrard is an upgrade for a team at the QB position, it's a pretty good sign you have some issues.
Tebow, remember, has never played on a losing team. Playing in Jacksonville would quite possibly have been his first real taste of playing for a bad team.
With the Jets, however, Tebow knows that for all the teams disfunction, they still have a chance to be competitive. The fact Sanchez stinks, and the idea fans in NY will be chanting for him by week two, sets up a no-lose situation for Tebow.
The guy's not an idiot.
posted by dyams at 07:09 AM on March 23, 2012
Tebow, remember, has never played on a losing team.
The Broncos were 1-4 when he took over as starter and 4-12 in his first season with the team.
posted by rcade at 09:26 AM on March 23, 2012
So apparently the only one who didn't want Tebow in his hometown of Jacksonville, was Tim Tebow.
You're forgetting GM Gene Smith, who killed the idea in 2010. The idea it all boiled down to Tebow wanting the Jags or not is too simplistic. He was told how the Jets and Jags planned to use him and got a chance to see how enthusiastic their plans were. I'm not hearing in Jacksonville that they were super-sold on using him in a major way.
posted by rcade at 09:30 AM on March 23, 2012
The guy's not an idiot.
IF Tebow had the choice, you have the fans of Jacksonville who would worship him. Rcade seems like a good representative of that fan base. Just wants to be entertained, would give him a 4 year grace period. Seems like a good deal to me.
On the other hand, we have New York, a place that has no good will built up for Tebow. If Sanchez is injured, and Tebow throws up a 2-15 game, which he's completely capable of doing, how long will his grace period be in New York?
Of course, maybe it works out great in New York. Maybe Sanchez is driven to be better, and Tebow is a special situations guy that disrupts defenses (after an off season of preparing for Tebow, I really think this is his only chance to be successful. I don't believe in him as a starting quarterback).
My point, I guess, is that I don't see a slam dunk for either choice, and only time will tell if he made the right one (and there's a chance neither one was right).
posted by justgary at 08:37 PM on March 23, 2012
I'm obviously not talking about the team before Tebow actually played or got on the field. Did I really have to say that?
And I'm more inclined to think Sanchez will lose the starting job to Tebow, because he sucks ass, then the Jets will wind up winning games behind Tebow much like Denver did.
posted by dyams at 10:14 PM on March 23, 2012
IF Tebow had the choice, you have the fans of Jacksonville who would worship him
So much so, that they might even build a golden statue of him.
posted by grum@work at 10:17 PM on March 23, 2012
I think we'd rather sacrifice the fatted calf.
I'm obviously not talking about the team before Tebow actually played or got on the field. Did I really have to say that?
I don't grok your premise if you're limiting it to the times Tebow played. The Broncos weren't a losing team when he played because they won. They were definitely a losing team when he took over. That seems like getting a taste of being on a loser.
The Jaguars are an average team. They've played at .500 from 2005 to the present. With their improving defense and Maurice Jones-Drew, I think Tebow or Gabbert would probably lead them from 7-9 to 9-7 next season.
posted by rcade at 11:22 PM on March 23, 2012
And I'm more inclined to think Sanchez will lose the starting job to Tebow, because he sucks ass, then the Jets will wind up winning games behind Tebow much like Denver did.
If this happens I just might start believing in god God.
posted by justgary at 11:53 PM on March 23, 2012
So, now the Jets have two crappy QBs. Lucky them.